Pump control device



Sept. 27, 1949. N. H. CALLAHAN 2,483,084

PUMP CONTROL DEVICE Filed Nov. 5, 1945 42 T E Z;

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Qui-00) 52 INVENTOR By )QNL Arrow/Ey Patented Sept. 27,Y 1949 Y UNITEDSTATES NT OFFICE Y Vaisaost PUMP CONTROL DEVICE Nolan H. CallahamAlice,Tex.

Application November 5, 1945; Serial'No; 626,-705

` 4 Claims, 01. 1123-1-26);

This invention relates -tovan automatic air release for pipe linesthrough which oilis conveyed, and it has particulary reference toAapparatus fordischarging of air from pipe lines used in-gatheri-ngsystems Where oil is delivered from storage tanks to the mainpipe lineand its principal object resides in the provision of apparatus adaptedto be installed in the line on the discharge side of the pump employedfor pumping the oil through the line and thus prevent the occurrence ofgas or air' pockets between the pump and the conventionalcheck valvefrom which it tends to impair the operation of the pump and materiallyhinder the movement of the oil through-the line.

Another object of the invention resides intheprovision ofl apparatuscapable of stopping the pump when oil ceases to flow through the linefrom the source thus automatically preventing the destruction of thesaid pump and its driving unit, as well as preventing the loss of powerinthe operation of the pump after the source'of supply is exhausted.

Yet another objectl of the invention is manifest' in the provision ofapparatus capable of automatic operation in the handling of` oilproducts through a pipe line withoutl the usual attentions ordinarilyrequired in manually stopping the pump when the source of supply isexhausted Aor by the use of time clocks conventionally employed for suchpurpose after the run is completed and" enabling the attendant to simplyset the pump at the beginning of the run and `be assuredl of theautomatic shutting olf of the pump when the source is exhausted by asystem of oats connected with a switch through which the driving elementof the pump is actuated.

Still another object of the invention resides in the provision of anautomatic air release mechanism embodying elements designed to permitthe discharge of air from the line until said'line is completely devoidof air pockets and automatically close the air outlet by oil flowinginto the apparatus from the said' line. Another object ofI the inventionis manifest in the provision of a means whereby the automatic shutting01T of the driving element of the pump is delayed until after the oil inthe line is pumped past the check valve and the pump is entirely emptythus preventing the pumpV from continuing without lubrication. Y

'-Broadly, the invention seeks-to comprehend the provision ofY anautomatic air release from pipe lines embodying lfloat controlmechanisms'whereby'v inadvance of theflow of =oil passing-1therethroughyto operateY and to automatically prevent the operation ofl the. pumpwhen all of the. oil is discharged therefrom-resulting in great savingof time, labor and.

machinery.

While the foregoing objects are paramount, other and` lesser` objects;will become VmanifestV as the description proceeds takeny inv connectionwith thev appended drawings wherein:

Figure l is a vertical cross-sectional illustration of theinventionshown connected-ina pipe line between-thel pump and` thecheckyalve.

Figurev 2` is a fragmentary elevational view of the switch actuatingmechanism attachedY to thek exterior of the main housing,

Figure 3.is. a fragmentary side elevational View of thelautomatic-switch operating mechanism i1- lustrating in Figure 2, and.

Figure 41 is a vertical cross-sectional View of the air discharge valvearrangediin theuppermostendofthe housing, as, shown in Figure 1.

Gathering systems. are so. called because such pipe lines. are usuallyemployedionrleases from whichioil is gathered andV delivered-to. themain pipe line asa common carrier. In the operation of gathering systemsany number of tanks I vided on thev dischargerside of the pump to pre-Vvent oil` from. flowing back through the. pump when the latter. isl atrest. Air pockets ordinarily form. between the pump and the check valvewhich prevents` the proper operation of the pumpv due to1 the; fact.;that oil cannotA flow through; the line against the air accumulatedtherein and whichis ordinarily drawn thereinto from a tank when the lastof the, oil is discharged therefrom.

The primary object of the invention, therefore, is to releasesuchy airpressures from the line to permit the vflow of oil andy enable the pumpto function, The invention is designed to operate on the discharge sideofthe pump and to be installed between the pump and the check valve in amanner which will behereinafter described.

Accordingly, therefore, the invention consists .primarily of ahousingrI' preferably cylindrical in form andv closed-at itsupper end by a plug2' threaded-- thereinto, as shown in Figure l. A drain outlet isprovidedin the bottomofthe housingl andclosed-by a plug-3 for thepurpose of draining` Vsediment andV waste materials` therefrom, ThehousingIf-is-proyidedfwith an air and` oil inlet opening 4-toward'theupper end thereof" and which is connected with a pipe 5 anda, reducing nipple 6 with the pipe line 1. Near the bottom of thehousing I is provided an oil outlet opening 8 which communicates withthe pipe 5 through a Iconduit 9 and a valve I.

It will be noted that a check valve II, of the conventional type, isinstalled in the pipe line 1 on the discharge side of the pump I2 andthe communication 5 between the housing I and the pipe 'I is located Aatsome point between the check valve II 4and the pump l2, as illustratedin Figure 1.

As the source of supply of oil is exhausted the product is pumpedthrough the line 1 past the check valve I i and is pumped into the line1 from the source such as a storage tank (not shown) and will, ofcourse, prevent the passing of oil through which is 'provided`withyaconicalY seat IE in its upper end communicating with a smallerbore i1 in the upper end of the member I4, as shown in Figure 4. Justbelow the seat I3 are arranged a plurality of ports I8 which are adaptedto be covered by a sleeve i9 slidably arranged upon the member I4 andretained thereonvby a screw 2l)V extending through alslot 2l in the wallof the member i9.

A yoke member 221s securedV to the lower end of the sleeve i9 of a pin23 which also passes through the lowermost end of a closure 24 slidablydis-posed within the :bore l5 of the member I4 and which is providedwith `a conical upper end 25 adapted to engage the seat I6. The closuremember 215 is also adapted to slide upwardly within the member IG andcover the ports I8, previously described.V By reason of the rigidconnection, therefore, between the sleeve I9, the yoke 22 and theclosure 2li, all of these elements must move together.

A iioat 26, shown in Figure 1, is secured through a connecting link 2ito the yoke 22 andis adapted to raise the elements I9 and 2li to closethe ports I8 Iand prevent the passage of lair therethrough as oil flowsinto the housing I and reaches a suit-Y able level therein to actuatethe ioat 26;` Normally, however, the valve assembly I3 remains open andpermi-ts air lpassing into the 'housing I through the conduit 5 toescape through the top 2 of the device and out through the pipe 23 tothe atmosphere and is shut oii only after the oil level in the housing Ireaches the sufcient height to actuate the float 25.

After the air is discharged from the line 1 between the check valve IIand the pump I2 oil is permitted to flow freely through the line 1 andYwill, of course, pass upwardly through .the conduit 5 into the housing Ithrough the oil and air inlet d. This is also true oi the conduit 9 andthe -oil` outlet 8. When the housing I is filled with oil the.

lowermost lioat 29 is raised to the position illusltrated in dottedlines in Figure v1. This oat is connected through a rigid coupling 30 tola rotat ing 'pin 3| extending transversely through a circular housing32 secured by lbolts 33to one side oi the housing I, as illustrated inFigure l..v The coupling 36 between the float 29 and its pivotalmounting 3l is adapted to operate through a slot 3.4 in the wall of thehousing I affording acom- 4 munication between the interior of thelatter and the housing 32.

The function of the float 29 is to actuate a switch, such as a mercuroidtube 35, illustrated in Figure 3, connected into the ignition system ofa gasoline motor or the electric circuit of an electric motor (notshown) and by which the iioW of current is broken or completed throughthe wires 36 fragmentarily illustrated in Figure 3. The switch issecured to an arm 31 pivotally supported at a to a rigid arm 3B securedto the face of the housing 32 by certain of the bolts 33 by which thehousing 32 is secured to the main Y housing I las shown in Figure 2.

The supporting pin 3|, .to which the oat 29 is attached through thecoupling 3U, extends through one side ofthe circular housing 32, asshown in Figure 2, projecting through a stulng box 39.

' An arm 110 is rigidly connected at b to the end of the pin 3i andextends substantially parallel to the arm 31 supporting the switch 35previously described. Toward the opposite end of the arm 49 isadjustably secured :a vertical lever 4I which is provided with a hook d2at its uppermost end adapted to overreach and engage the end of the arm31 opposite the switch 35 in a manner illustra-ted in Figure 3.

When the driving element ,for the pump I2, such as an internalcombustion engine or electric motor, is manually started, the arm 31 isarranged in-its uppermost position, las shown in Figure 3, While the arm39, fby reason of its connection through the 'pin 3| to .the float 29will assume arposition as shown in dotted lines in Figure 3. As oil owsinto the housing I through either of the conduits 5 and 9 the float 29will rise, rotating the 'pin 3l and raising the arm 40 and the verticallever 4I so that the hook d2 iat the upper end of the member di will abelabove the arm 31. As oil flows out of the housing I back into the linethrough the conduit 9, being controlled through the valve Ill, the float29 will be lowered to the position shown in Figure 1 causing the armil!! and the lever di to move downwardly and thus cause the hook 42 toengage .the lever 31, moving the latter Vdownwardly and tilting theswitch 35 so that the mercury therein will close the circuit through thewires 36 and short out the motor, if the latter is an internalcombustion engine. If an electric motor is employed, and it is desiredvto break' the cir-cuit through the wires 36, a reverse operation of theswitch 35 will be desired.

It willv be vnoted that the operation of the pump l2 can be controlled,insofar as stopping the same is concerned, by regulating the valve I9 sothat oil is allowed to pass out of the housing I as slowly as desiredcausing the float 29 to be lowered 4at the required speed. The shuttingou oi' the pump, therefore, is delayed in accordance with therequirements and without injuryto the machinery which would result bypermitting the same to run indefinitely after the supply oi' oil hasbeen diminished.

Therswitch actuating assembly, consisting of the arms 31 and 0, togetherwith the vertical lever di, is adjustable to insure the proper functionvof the assembly. Figure 3 illustrates the horizontal arm 43 as having aseries of spaced periorations is which correspond to a verticalarrangement of spaced perfor-ations 44 in the vertical iever lil. Thesemembers are adjustable with respect to each-other by changing the rigidconnectionr c which retains these two parts in their operativerelationship. This adjustment maybe employed when it is Vdesirable tochange the coordination between the float 29 and the mercuroid tube 35previously described.

Although the invention has been described with great particularity, itis not intended that the same be limited to the structure herein shownand described but that any changes and modifications which may beresorted to and which may be considered as falling within the spirit ofthe invention, may also be considered as falling within the scope of theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an automatic air release for pipe lines, the combination with apump and switch therefor and an air and oil receptacle having inlet andoutlet communications with the said pipe line on the discharge side ofthe said pump, in combination, a normally open oat actuated air outletvalve in the top of the said receptacle adapted to be closed by oilentering the said receptacle through the said communications, and a oatactuated switch adapted to stop the said pump as the oil is dischargedthrough the outlet communication into the said pipe line.

2. In an automatic air release for oil pipe lines having a motor drivenpump installed therein, in combination, an air and oil receptacle havinginlet and outlet communications with the said pipe line, a floatactuated air outlet valve in the top of the said receptacle adapted tobe closed by oil entering the receptacle through both of the saidcommunications, and a float actuated switch associated with the saidreceptacle adapted to be operated to stop the said pump as oil isdischarged from the said receptacle through the said outletcommunication.

3. In an automatic air release for oil pipe lines having -a motor drivenpump therefor, in combination, an air and oil receptacle having inletand outlet communications connected into the said pipe line on thedischarge side of the said pump, a normally open oat operated airdischarge valve in the top of the said receptacle and amenable to theaction of the said oil entering the said receptacle through the saidcommunications, and a float actuated switch adapted to stop the saidpump when oil is drained into the said pipe line from said receptaclethrough the said outlet communication.

In an automatic air release for pipe lines having a motor driven pumpinstalled therein and an air and oil receptacle having inlet and outletconduits communicating with the said pipe line on the discharge side ofthe said pump, in combination, an air discharge valve in the top of thesaid receptacle having an actuating Vfloat attached thereto and adaptedto be closed when. air is expelled from said receptacle by oil enteringthe same from the said pipe line, a oat actuated switch for the saidpump associated with the said receptacle, and a float operating withinthe said receptacle adapted to operate the said switch to stop the saidpump as the oil is discharged from the said receptacle.

NOLAN I-I. CALLAHAN.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Skidmore Nov. 6, 1928Number

